Last Updated on August 22, 2018
In 1973, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation’s communities. Back then, EMS was a new profession, and EMS practitioners had only just started to be recognized as a critical component of emergency medicine and the public health safety net.
A lot has changed since then. EMS is now firmly established as an essential public function and a vital component of the medical care continuum. On any given day, EMS practitioners help save lives by responding to medical emergencies, including heart attack, difficulty breathing, a fall or accident, drowning, cardiac arrest, stroke, drug overdose or acute illness. EMS may provide both basic and advanced medical care at the scene of an emergency and en route to a hospital. EMS practitioners care for their patients’ medical needs and show caring and compassion to their patients in their most difficult moments.
EMS Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s “front line.” This year, we celebrate EMS Week May 21-27, 2017.
EMS Week is also an opportunity to publicize those contributions our first responders provide to our Charlestown Community. Given the challenges facing our nation’s healthcare system and the rapid pace of change, making sure the public and other stakeholders understand what EMS has to offer has never been more important. You see our uniforms and faces throughout the Community, yet you never know the skills they possess and the dedication to their profession that they have until your time of need. Charlestown offers 24/7 Emergency Medical Services every day of the year.
In your time of need, we are here for you. Please take a few moments during your daily routine to thank those who care so much for you.
Portions of this article have been copied from an Association of EMS Providers on-line article.
– Charlestown Security & Emergency Medical Services –